Raymond Williams: Literature, Marxism And Cultural Materialism (critics Of The Twentieth Century)

Raymond Williams' prolific output is increasingly recognised as the most influential body of work on literary and cultural studies in the past fifty years. This book provides the most comprehensive study to date of the theoretical and historical context of Williams' thinking on literature, politics and culture. John Higgins traces: \* Williams' intellectual development \* the related growth of a New Left cultural politics \* the origins of the theory and practice of cultural materialism. Raymond Williams is an astonishing achievement and will challenge many received ideas about Williams' work. Raymond Williams' prolific output is increasingly recognized as the most influential body of work on literary and cultural studies in the past fifty years. This book provides the most comprehensive study to date of the theoretical and historical context of Williams'

thinking on literature, politics and culture.

John Higgins traces Williams' intellectual trajectory from its beginnings in the literary criticism of the 1950s, across the development of a New Left cultural politics, to its culmination in the theory and practice of cultural

materialism. Higgins vigorously challenges many of the received ideas concerning Williams' work. In so doing he offers a significant challenge and correction to many of the current representations of Williams' thought, and a powerful argument for renewed engagement with it.

Cover 1 Raymond Williams 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 7 Acknowledgements 8 Introduction 10 1 The tight place: Marxism or literature? 1947-50 13 2 Drama and the structure of feeling 1947-54 30 3 Culture and communication 1950-62 55 4 Cambridge criticism 1962-73 74 5 Marxisms: contra Caudwell, against Althusser 109 6 Towards a cultural materialism 1977-81 134 7 Against the new conformism 1981-7 154 Conclusion 178 Notes 187 Bibliography 212 Index 233 John Higgins provides the most comprehensive study to date of the theoretical and historical context of Williams' thinking on literature, politics and culture John Higgins. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [203]-223) And Index.